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Re: What Does Homework Do?

A bomb has the same potential energy whether you set it off or not. It can be used for good or for evil or never used at all. That doesn't change what it is.

I never said anything about changing its nature, but whether it has impact on the world. A bomb that never goes off will not impact the world.

Accomplishments are all meaningless when you get down to it anyways. In a few million years the sun is going to explode, and all life as we know it will probably cease to exist long before that. Neither the genius nor the idiot can change this.

And living is "all meaningless when you get down to it anyways. In a few million years the sun is going to explode, and all life as we know it will probably cease to exist long before that." None of us can change this.

But in the meantime, a genius has the potential to do a lot more than an idiot, and that makes them more valuable.

No it's doesn't. If the so-called genius does nothing to show for his/her "genius", while the idiot has actually done something no matter how small, the idiot is more valuable. I have job A. The "genius" won't do it because it's beneath him, while the idiot is willing to do it as long I point out what to do - the idiot is more valuable to me. Potential is nothing if it's not realised. If you say differently, try naming some "genius" who are famous for never accomplishing anything.

Re: What Does Homework Do?

Originally Posted by earthworm

Obviously, English and communication skills are poorly taught. In high school, Calculus was a new concept(to me) and it was not well presented - this a another important skill, IMO, using psychology..
My school was excellent, but I was rather dense at times...easy to say now, but not then..

well at least you accept the fact that you were dense alot of people usually dont.

Re: What Does Homework Do?

Originally Posted by Tsunami

Of course learning isn't a bad thing. But you're missing the point. Instead of spending years learning calculus or history you could be learning something actually related to your interests and talents. Someone like you who has two majors and three minors obviously has a lot of interests. You're not the typical student. The typical student wants to be a doctor or a lawyer and has to suffer through calculus to do it. Has anyone ever died because their doctor couldn't finance a mortgage?

It doesn't take years to learn calculus. It takes a semester. There are higher levels of calculus that go into more detail and problem solving. But you're missing the point on a couple fronts. First off, things like learning math and science do more than just teach the math and science. They teach critical thinking and problem solving ability. Most other subjects over memorization and regurgitation. But the sciences and maths make people think more and push more. While calculus specifically can be used for many things, including personal finances; having to take the courses teaches skills which transcend the subjects. Being able to think properly and understand situations and adapt easily can be used for pretty much everything. Secondly, it's University. University stands for the most academically rigorous and well rounded of all higher level education institutions. So even if it's not according to one's own major, a University degree signifies education beyond the major and you're expected to do so. And I think it should be a lot tougher.

And if a doctor can't do calculus, there's a problem there. It's not saying that maybe he needs to integrate over a patients skin surface area and perhaps convert it to a volume integral. However, a doctor is to be highly educated and if they can't learn calc, it shows they don't have the problem solving ability and skills necessary for their job. It's not all strict memorization. The doctor tends to have to use pattern recognition and problem solving to come up with a diagnosis. Calculus would be the least of their worries.

You know the time is right to take control, we gotta take offense against the status quo

Originally Posted by A. de Tocqueville

"I should have loved freedom, I believe, at all times, but in the time in which we live I am ready to worship it."

Re: What Does Homework Do?

That can either say you were exceptional at English and reading, or that the average senior is very poor at it.

In general, I think the written and vocabulary skills of the average high school senior are pathetically low. More English, more literature!

It has been my observation that the only thing the American people can agree upon is that at least one skill is desperately needing to be improved. I do not think I have heard many people think that anything that goes on in the schools is adequate. Perhaps I am a reformed former pessimist, but I think that the doom and gloom prospect is perhaps exaggerating the levels of how bad students are.